I have been scouring catalogs and the internet for months trying to find a Christmas present for Virginia. Wills has asked for a hundred different things, and I could easily think of a hundred additional things he would love. But it is hard to buy for someone with Virginia's physical disabilities.
Virginia has UGG boots and an iPod. She has an only-one-of-its-kind motorized, swinging bed to help her sleep at night. (Thanks, Dad and Uncle Moose.) Her clothes are cuter than mine and good luck finding a Disney stuffed animal or movie she doesn't own.

The truth is, what Virginia really needs, I can't give her.

It's a hard lesson for a mother to learn- having to turn over your children to someone who loves them even more.

She is facing things that are physically tougher than anything I have ever had to endure. She has had nothing to eat by mouth since last Tuesday, yet lives in a house where food is prepared and eaten on a regular basis. We are doing our best to be sensitive, but let's be honest. It's a pain I can't take away from her and one whose sting I can't imagine.

Virginia is going to have to rely on spiritual food more than the rest of us do. Even though that is my prayer for my children, I wouldn't have envisioned it this way. Not all this suffering. Not at age 8.

More than any of the rest of our family, Virginia understands why Christmas is so glorious. She really needs a Savior. She really needs to know that God loves her so much, He allowed his son to suffer the ultimate misery. She needs to know that one day, she will live without pain.

We are truly celebrating Christmas at our house this year, maybe more than ever.

Our good news is that the cough is better! A million 'hallelujahs' to that!

I feel like we are finally getting to the bottom of things. I think (Findley and I have an MD in Virginia Frazer, in case you were wondering) that the cough is primarily from aspirating, but not aspirating food. It's mainly her own secretions over the course of the night. So we are turning on the old humidifier, elevating her bed, and relying on the tube as much as possible without making her miserable. Nana would be so happy Virginia's off "all those damn medicines!" The other main issue is that she keeps getting colds, so we are going to continue to stay home from school for a while.

I think if we can let her lungs rest and heal, we might just get back to where we were six months ago.

Apart from turning the corner with the cough, It's been a trying week. The latest Virginia has slept is 3 am. I guess it's the steroids? On Tuesday she scared us by becoming pretty unresponsive- I have never seen her so sedated. Findley figured out it was the allergy medicine she started last Tuesday, and after 36 hours without it, she is back to herself. She's tired, but not zoned out.

I really don't know how to thank all of you who regularly pray for our family. Many of you have lots of time invested in our family. What a gift! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

And now, for laughs, here are some of the Christmas card pictures I didn't use...stay tuned for the winner. I have to get them in the mail first. It would be anticlimactic for my friends to see it on the blog first! (as if anyone really cares except for me!)

Too blurry...

Almost, but not looking the same direction...

Mommy was screaming at Eliza. Sissy was laughing at Mommy...

Mommy bribed Eliza with smarties, but it backfired when she wouldn't put them down for the picture.

This is cute, if we were a family of rappers...

Funny...Wills was hot in his sweater, sandwiched between two girls, and past ready to call it a day.

Laid back Sissy!

In other news, I have been wearing my glasses a lot. For two reasons. The first is that they make me look smarter and I need that- my sleep deprivation has taken 'spacey' to a new level. The other is that it's hard to get contacts in on two hours sleep.

Someone decided to copy me. She found my college glasses and wore them for hours yesterday. Sort of has me worried that she has vision problems because I am blind as a bat! I would think she couldn't see a thing with them on, but she is serious as a heart attack when she wears them.

That same someone loves having Virginia home from school. Maybe a little too much. Eliza, get out of Sissy's face...

Who, me?

And you know you live in Alabama when this is how your son spells 'The A-merican Flag.'